I experienced a setback during December that seems to be dragging on and on As a result I'm losing the will to keep persevering with rebuilding habits and routines again and again. It seems like I'm hit with a new obstacle or mini-setback before I've got close to where I was in Autumn. I feel … Continue reading Small victory#2: Made some food to freeze for later
Graded activity/pacing: progress update
Graded activity is a way of learning to manage chronic pain or illness by finding your baseline (the amount of activity you can do without exacerbating symptoms) and then gradually extending the difficulty, very slowly over time. The aim is to be able to do the things that matter to you without causing flare ups. … Continue reading Graded activity/pacing: progress update
Small victory #1 Ate a salad
I've decided to keep count of my small victories as the big ones are so few and far between. My first little win is eating a salad. It might not seem like much, but between my fussy, nauseated migraine brain and the general difficulty of organising my household chores my daytime meals have been mostly … Continue reading Small victory #1 Ate a salad
CFT: Understanding my personal story
I believe that having self-compassion is essential if I'm going to live a meaningful life with chronic illness. Unfortunately I'm not very good at it. I think developing self-compassion can encourage us to take good care of ourselves, to be accepting of our limitations and appreciative of our efforts. For some of us self-compassion isn't … Continue reading CFT: Understanding my personal story
Pacing Update
The aim of pacing is to find the approximate length of time that I can work at something without causing a flare up in my symptoms. The principles of pacing are to avoid a cycle of boom and bust and to stop before you need a break. A few months ago I worked out my … Continue reading Pacing Update
How not to cope with a setback
Forget there is a setback plan, try to get back to 'normal' as quickly as possible, then have half a bar of chocolate and a third of a bottle of wine because what's the point in trying to be good if you end up feeling horrible anyway? Still it's a new week, so I'm going … Continue reading How not to cope with a setback
What is Compassion Focused Therapy?
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) is an offshoot of CBT. It was designed for people with high levels of self-criticism or shame. It is supposed to be helpful for people who can reason against their fears or beliefs but who find that their feelings don't change. The theory behind CFT is that we have evolved a … Continue reading What is Compassion Focused Therapy?
Soothing breathing
I have encountered soothing breathing exercises as part on my one-to-one counselling and when reading self-help Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) books. It's not something that I persisted with though. Developing a soothing breathing technique or form of imagery that helps us to feel calm, soothed and steady has been the main practical exercise for the first … Continue reading Soothing breathing
Pacing progress update
The aim of pacing is to find the approximate length of time that I can work at something without causing a flare up in my symptoms. The principles of pacing are to avoid a cycle of boom and bust and to stop before you need a break. A few months ago I worked out my … Continue reading Pacing progress update
Finally – I can see some progress with pacing!
The aim of pacing is to find the approximate length of time that I can work at something without causing a flare up in my symptoms. The principles of pacing are to avoid a cycle of boom and bust by stopping before you need a break. A few months ago I worked out my baselines … Continue reading Finally – I can see some progress with pacing!